CHARITY – INTRODUCTION

Charity

Introduction

The Vintners' Foundation

The tradition of charitable giving goes back to the earliest days of the Company, which has always prided itself on the willingness of members to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Recently, through the work of the Vintners' Foundation, our efforts have been focused on those suffering from alcohol dependence and their families.
Our sights are also firmly set on breaking down the educational barriers facing young people from deprived backgrounds and helping to ensure that they get the best possible start in life.

St Martin of Tours

St Martin of Tours, patron Saint of the Vintners’ Company, divides his cloak with his sword to share it with a beggar.

Historical background

Charity and education have always been principal elements in the role of the guilds and Livery Companies. One of the first charitable tasks undertaken by the early guilds was the care of their members in sickness and old age. By the early fifteenth century, the Vintners’ Company had established “thirteen little mansions” on the site of the Hall, to be let to poor and needy men of the trade.

These were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and subsequently rebuilt at Mile End where they were maintained until they too were destroyed during the Blitz in 1941. After the war, new homes were built at Nutley in Sussex.

In 1997 Nutley was sold and the funds raised were used to build bungalows at The Benevolent’s ‘Vintry Homes’ site at Eastbourne. This was sold off by The Benevolent in 2013. So ended nearly 600 years of Vintner involvement in almshouses.

Concept

The Vintners’ Company has for many years made grants to registered charities petitioning for its support, and the sale of the ‘Vintry’ site in 2013 coincided with a major re-focus of the Company’s charitable objectives. The Company took the decision to move away from its former strategy for grant-giving of supporting charities purely concerned with the abuse of alcohol. The focus is now more strongly on charities dealing with the social consequences of alcohol abuse – a subtle but important distinction, which embraces the families and dependants of abusers, as well as education to prevent youngsters from falling into the trap of alcohol misuse in the first place.

The beneficial area of the Company’s grant giving nevertheless remains Greater London and preferably Inner London. The Company’s limited resources do not allow a wider or more generous approach. In addition the Company has never been keen to support medical research or the construction, maintenance or restoration of buildings. These restrictions have been in place for many years, to increase the impact of those grants which the Company is able to afford.

The Company also now seeks to support fewer charities but to a greater extent, with larger grants and over a longer period of time, i.e. two or three years or more. This allows continuity – something which is especially important to smaller charities as they make their long-term plans. We tend to look more favourably on smaller, local charities, which often struggle to find support, rather than on those which are larger, well-known, nationally focused and therefore generally better supported.

Additionally, the charities selected will be able to offer opportunities for members of the Vintners’ Company to become involved and assist as part-time volunteers. This can be anything from providing general assistance to being a trustee. On occasion, a member of the Company may be able to provide expert assistance in a specialist field however, this cannot be guaranteed and should not be expected.

More details of the current selected charities may be found in the ‘GRANTS & SUPPORT’ section.

In addition to this change of grant-giving strategy, the Company continues to support the wine trade and also some 20 regular causes and charities ranging across education, the Church, the Services, swans, and the City, together with members’ own requests.

We also continue to run one-off charitable fundraising events. The Beaune Walk in June 2013 raised £50,000 for The Benevolent. The Walk on the South Downs in May 2015 raised £8,000 for the Vintners’ Foundation. The “City to Surf” cycle ride (300 miles over 3 days) in June 2015, from Vintners’ Hall to Newquay, raised over £55,000 for the Vintners’ Foundation and the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

The Vintners' Foundation

The Company’s principal charitable vehicle is the Vintners’ Foundation, which services the Company’s current policy for charitable giving. This is:

Assistance to charities concerned with the relief of the poor, destitute and homeless in Greater London who are disadvantaged by reasons of health, education or poverty

Assistance to charities concerned with treating the social effects of alcohol abuse or misuse

Support to young people, youth projects and designated educational establishments in London

Support to certain other charities, as put forward by members of the Company.

Income Source:Income to the Vintners’ Foundation is derived from three principal sources:

Capital funding from the Company

Investment income

Members’ donations

The Vintners’ Foundation incorporates two older trusts: Vintners’ Gifts Charity and the Vintners’ Company Charitable Foundation (VCCF). While the VCCF has been entirely subsumed into the Vintners’ Foundation, the objective of the Vintners’ Gifts Charity remains the relief of persons in need in the following order of priority:

Members of the Vintners’ Company and their dependants

Persons now or formerly engaged in the wine trade/spirits trade and their dependants

Such other persons in need of assistance as the Company shall in its absolute discretion think fit.

Members of the Company are expected to give regularly to the Vintners’ Foundation.

Charity Booklet

In 2017 the Vintners’ Foundation Committee compiled a review of its activities. Click the image below to read and download a copy of that review, titled ‘Making a Difference’.